Archery bow sights generally employ sight pins that are fitted in a frame mounted to the bow riser. The pins are positioned in the archer's field of vision and serve as guides for aiming the arrow. In mounting a bow sight to a particular bow, some adjustment is necessary to allow the archer to set the sight pins for the particular bow. Sight pins are generally provided with some vertical adjusting capability to allow the archer to set the pins for a particular distance, to compensate for the effect of gravity on the arrow trajectory over that distance, and to allow for other factors, such as the tension in the bow, that might affect arrow trajectory. An archer typically uses one pin for each distance. The sight pins or the bow sight itself also usually require some horizontal adjustment for the particular bow characteristics.
Fast shooting compound bows propel an arrow with a greater speed than other bows, and as a result the arrow trajectory is flatter over a given distance. Because arrows in fast shooting bows fall less over a given distance, the sight pins on a fast shooting bow tend to be tightly clustered. Prior art bow sights have difficulty in closely positioning the sight pins because of structural interference between the pin mountings.
When shooting at game, many opportunities occur in low light conditions, in the early morning or at dusk. In low light it can be difficult to distinguish the sighting end of a particular sight pin. To compensate for this, sight pins have been provided with illumination to improve the archer's ability to distinguish individual pins. However, because light conditions vary, and an individual archer's preferences may also vary, illumination that serves for one set of conditions may not be suitable for another.
The present invention, generally, provides an archery bow sight that overcomes these and other problems in the art.
More particularly, the present invention provides an archery bow sight having a plurality of sight pins that includes means for individually adjusting the horizontal and vertical position of each sight pin.
Another aspect of the present invention is means for adjustably illuminating the sight pins to improve the distinguishability of the pins. A further aspect of the invention includes means for individually tinting the light for each sight pin to further improve the distinguishability of the pins, a feature which is particularly advantageous in situations where sight pins are closely positioned.
The bow sight of the present invention provides a plurality of sight pins, each sight pin carried in a pin holder. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sight pin is a narrow, tubular member being bent at substantially a right angle at a first end portion to form a sighting end. Each pin holder is fastened to a single vertical support member that has a plurality of mounting holes to allow vertical positioning of each pin in one of a variety of locations. The pin holder is fastened to the vertical support member so that the holder can be selectively positioned at an angle relative to the vertical support member. By pivoting the holder, a sighting bead of the pin may be precisely positioned vertically. As is frequently necessary in the case of fast shooting bows, the sighting beads of a plurality of sight pins can be tightly clustered without difficulty.
In addition, the sight pin is slidably carried in a groove in the holder, which permits the pin to slide for selective individual horizontal positioning of the pin and adjustment of the sighting bead.
In another aspect of the present invention, each sight pin includes a optical fiber encased in the pin and terminating at the sighting bead. A portion of the optical fiber extending from the pin is covered by a protective flexible sleeve to prevent damage from contact with other optical fibers or external objects. A light source is provided with means for coupling the optical fiber to the light source for light transmission to the sighting bead end. In addition, means for varying the intensity of the light emitted from the light source, for example, a potentiometer, is provided.
Another aspect of the invention includes means for coloring the light emitted from the sighting bead of each pin. In a preferred embodiment, the end of each bead is individually tinted with a translucent material. Alternatively, a colored lens having individual differently colored lens segments is interposed between the light source and the fiber optic coupling so that the light transmitted to each sighting bead may be individually colored.
Switching means for selectively activating the light source is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the switching means comprises a pressure sensitive switch that may be located in a position remote to the light source and activated by pressure applied by a finger. Release of the pressure deactivates the switch, and thus conserves power. Alternatively, the switching means may comprise a conventional two-position switch, such as a toggle switch or slide switch that can be operated by a finger.